A Dream?
by owlhero
Summary: We know there is a line between dreams and reality but what if you could not tell the difference?


**Disclaimer: I do not own the suite life series. Any errors made in the writing of this story are mine alone. Feel free to point them out and I'll correct them**.

"I think we should get back right now, Codes"

"Yeah the sky's ominous" Cody looked up at the midnight black cloud sky and frowned.

They were only trying to go home from a trip to Cheap Charlie's to pick up some groceries. So normal since their mother consistantly combated with her locust twin sons over food. Charlie's backed up its name as Zack and Cody's arms each carried two stuffed bags.

The pair waited for their turn to cross the street as turn signals flickered and carhorns blared in their direction. Expertly dodging a honking car, the pair reached the other side.

"Does that idiot know how to drive? He almost ran us over." The weight of the bags prevented Cody from shrugging his shoulders after Zack's outburst.

"Maybe you should go back and ask him?" Zack ignored Cody's cheeky question and started to walk faster. His twin followed, the bags swinging and banging his knees. Cody tried to match Zack's pace but Zack stayed ahead of him.

But both stopped as a wall of wind rammed them, forcing the two blonds to go backwards. The battering element slowly died. But it left chilled cheeks, disheveled hair and tired rubbery arms.

"It looks like its going to be a bad one." Thundered stopped Zack. Cody sighed deeply.

"It looks like they will have to cancel the get together at the park for the science club."

"Not if you want to test and see if you nerds float or not."

Cody rolled his eyes as he dropped his bags and zipped up his jacket.

"Come on its only a couple of blocks to the Tipton."

The twins retraced their path home. They raced across the park as it opened up to the sight of the Tipton.

Both stopped next to a pile of leaves to stare at their five star home with its craziness. Most of which the boys were involved in some way, by accident, luck or design.

A wave of red, orange, brown and yellow covered the boys. Their eyes cleared to discover leaves all over their clothing and in their bags. Cody tried to pull out the leaves in their bags.

"Cody. Cody! CODY! Zack wallopped his brother shoulder, who looked at him startled.

"Why did you hit me!" A spurt of anger covered Cody's face. Zack looked confused.

"Bro, I called you like three times. You never even looked up. Its like I was never here."

"Really, I guess I did not hear you." Cody realized Zack looked unconvienced. "I didn't okay. I'm sorry".

"Me too" Zack grabbed his share of the supplies. "Let's go before it pours."

...

The boys thanked Norman the doorman as they walked into the lobby. Moseby was dealing the usual kaleidoscope of guests while Esteban stood waiting patiently for their room numbers. The luggage cart bursting at its bolts and hinges with bags and suitcases. One look at the concierge desk...

Zack stared at his twin, who was shaking his head.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought Maddie was Irene for one second...I mean the job, the uniform, everything."

Zack laughed. "You're losing it. Your brain was be fried. Sure Maddie would like the raise but the those two dont even look the same. The hair, their looks and let's forget their ages..."

"Alright I get it." Cody smiled as Zack gripped his shoulder. Maybe things have gotten a little stranger today. Like the world has decided to reverse its magnetic field."

You know, for a smart guy, you never seem to say things in a simple way." Cody shrugged, resigned.

"Its just who I am."

"True. Let's go before Mom's starts to worry." Cody grinned

"Or Mr. Moseby thinks we all up to something." Zack shakes his head.

"He always does."

...

"That was fast" Zack responded as he spotted his mother, Carey in the kitchen as the twins entered the suite and sat the bags down on the counter.

"Well we wanted to get back before the storm hit."

"I can see why" Carey muttered as she stared out suite 2330's kitchen window at the ominous sky above. She turned toward her brood.

"Well at least now I can make meatoaf."

"Meatloaf, mom? Really? Zack asked with a chuckle. Cody joined in.

"Mom you are not...consistant when it comes to the quality of your cooking." Zack stared, dumbfounded, at his brother.

"Yes she is, consistantly bad. Like burnt toast." Cody's retort was bitten off by Carey's simple declaration.

"I'm making it". Cody spoke slow and deliberately.

"Okay..." Cody shushed Zack. "but what if I help out with the ingredents and the cooking?" Carey thought about the proposals.

"Fine." Their mother's hands started digging through the bags. Zack shifted himself closer to Cody.

"Thanks bro. I have a shot at surviving dinner." Cody walked away for his sake without saying a word.

...

"You know dinner was not bad considering mom was involved. No upset stomachs." The boys laid across their own chairs in the living room, their feet sticking out the sides. Zack throwing a football up in the air to himself. Cody reading a book.

"Its not that difficult, Zack. Its a matter of paying attention to the ingredients, the directions and cooking time. Sort of like a math problem." Cody's eyes never strayed from the black and white print as he finished. He missed Zack's shrug.

"Whatever, I'm just happy I did not end up in the bathroom all night." Cody smirked behind the book's spine.

"Or the hospsital even..." Zack grabbed the ball in midtoss and sat normal in the chair, staring at his twin.

"Jeez, like I needed to hear that." Cody fired back.

"Oh please, you would flirting with the nurses every second you had." Zack leaned back and smiled dreamily.

"Only if Maddie was my nurse." Cody nearly fell out of his chair.

"Talk about delusional." Cody said oultloud. Zack's daze was broken.

"A guy can dream." The room was quiet for a few minutes. Zack looked up to notice rain was falling. He left his chair and walked toward the door.

"I'm going down to get some chocolate from Maddie, Want anything?"

"Sure. Thanks." Zack shrugged as Cody's eyes kept darting left to right and walked out of the suite.

Cody yawned. The words he was reading turned to jubbish in front of his eyes. He rubbed them and stretched, laying the book flat on his chest.

"What a weird day. Maybe a nap will solve everything." The rain battered the window as the silent room catered to Cody as his eyes closed.

_..._

**_"Subject two's status has changed. The readings have changed from normal. Trying to regulate now..."_**

**_"System trying to compensate with two subjects instead of one..."_**

**_"Status of subject two is stable, no defects."_**

**_"Update: System has multiple internal malfunctions. Trying to compensate...Stabilization is holding...Will_**

**_attempt to maintain program..."_**

**_"Rebooting..._**"

...

"Cody...bro...Wake up!"

The book fell with a clunk to the floor. Cody opened his eyes to see Zack with chocolate in both hands.

"What a weird dream"

"Here...weird dream?" Cody took the sweets Zack handed to him."

"Thanks. Yeah it was. There was one voice. It was not human, like a machine or a computer program or something. I dont remember a lot. Its too foggy."

"Yeah, well my dreams can involve superheroes and pretty girls." Cody rolls his eyes as Zack continues. "Well it could been what you been reading." Zack picks up the fallen book. "Ah, classic ...Tales from the Crypt. I didn't know you were into classic horror."

"I thought I give it a try. Worst case, I'll put it back." The book is handed back to Cody while he moves over as Zack sits on the chair's arm.

"While you were in dreamland, I found out from Maddie there's a horror marathon on tonight." Cody's aprehension showed.

Relax, its not any of that hack, slash and maim stuff like Saw. But its not zombies. Its like classic horror like before mom was born. Like Monster Chiller Horror Threater." Cody smiled.

Okay. I'll watch. Just make sure you make popcorn for both of us.

...

"I loved that part where the aliens ate the general. So over the top, yet so cool. But seeing black and white horror was amazing. How they focused on the acting and the atmosphere. It shows how much has changed since then. But Frankenstein was funny with the doctor saying "Its Alive". Cody mimed the good doctor's movements, his arms spread apart. Zack only laughed.

"You would been a terrible horror actor. You stink at it."

Well there's always a chance." Cody threw popcorn from his own bowl at Zack, who retaliated.

Soon kernals were flying all over. The buttered and salty snack covering the boys and funiture and anything in distance until the bowls were empty.

"Great mom's going to yell at us for this." Cody looked at the popcorn covered landscape around him.

"We have time. Mom's not back till after midmight due to her gig." Zack's hand stretched towards the floor.

"Ew, dont eat it." Zack looked at Cody strangely as he popped a few misfired kernals from the floor into his mouth.

"They're still good."

"Whatever." Knowing it was a lost cause, Cody swept the popcorn from his couchseat and sat down. Suddenly, Cody jumped as a combo of thunder and lightning shook the suite.

"Scared?" Zack asked as Cody landed next to him shaking.

"A little."

"You'll be fine" Zack grabbed the blanket from behind them and laid across their legs. They both got comfortable as the rain pounded the windows behind them and the TV glowed.

Suddenly the lights and the TV flickered then cut off, casting the room into pitch black darkness.

"Crap the power's out." Cody felt Zack's voice next to him. "I guess we have to wait until the hotel generator kicks in."

"I guess so" Cody's hands tightened around the blanket. The pair sat in darkness, the lightning flashes revealing the other's presence.

"You know Zack, I've always enjoyed moments like this. When its just the two of us. Just sitting, watching Tv like this. Its comforting with all the moving we've done and with mom and dad. Its normal."

"Me too, Codes. Just did you dare tell anyone."

Oh I wouldnt even think of it, Zack. Not one bit." Cody felt Zack's hand grip his right one for a few seconds then breakaway only to lay next to his."It sure taking a long time for the generator to come back on. Think something's wrong?"

"Well Arwin could have messed something up if he went on one of his fix-everything strings again. Remember last time?" Zack could hear Cody's aggrevation in his answer.

"I hope not, Moseby would have a stroke and Mr. Tipton would fire everyone."

"I just hope it does not do anything to the suite. Moseby might blame us. We got food and water here, so we are pretty good. Of course finding the flashlights may be an issue." Cody answers with confidence.

"We should be fine. Mom put them in one of the drawers in the kitchen, so we can always dig through them to find them. Besides Moseby would send for help if he needed to. The worst thing we can do in travel around the hotel in the dark. We can fall down the steps and get hurt.

"So you dont mind if I happen to fall asleep here on the couch on this layer of popcorn that feels like crunchy bubble wrap when I sit on it?"

Zack could hear the confusion on Cody's voice.

"Okaaay, no. Not really... I mean you've kind of slept anywhere you could so why not here." Zack did not respond.

"Zack?...Cody heard snoring and snickered. "Of course." A roar of thunder sounded in the distance yet Zack's montone snoring never stopped. "Right now I am so jealous of you..."

Cody sat quietly, his twin's noises substitiuting for a ticking clock until they stopped. The pounding rain replaced him and Cody just sat patiently with darkness as his companion.

Suddenly the lights flickered and turned back on.

"Zack, its back on.." Cody turned toward his brother. Only to find him not in his previous spot. Not a hair or stitch of clothing. Cody looked down at the blanket. It was completely wrapped under his two legs. Like it was always that way. Cody looked around.

"Zack where are you?...Seriously, this is not funny. we have a marathon to watch and popcorn to clean up."

Nothing but the rain was heard. Cody untangled himself from the blanket and tossed it aside and looked around the couch.

Zack was nowhere to be found. He searched the kitchen too. Again nothing. Cody stopped in his tracks to breathe and calm down. He started to talk to himself, staring in space while pacing.

"Okay, he has to be here either in the bathroom or our bedroom. There's no way he left via the hallway or I would have heard him." Cody looked up at the refrigerator and his chin dropped. He got closer to the appliance.

"No way...No way mom would do that." Cody stared at the frig's front. Every single piece of Zack that was plastered, tapped or magneted to the frig was gone. Every drawing he created, note, his schedule for sports and school...All gone. Cody turned to the side of the machine.

Even that stupid dent he created when he kicked it when he was angry one time had disappeared.

"But how?..." Cody breathing increased as he dashed to their door and froze. The door to the room was usually marked with everything. Posters, quotes, artwork even some rude things the boys managed to hide from their mother.

But it was gone too. Their door still had some things on it but it was not completely covered like it normally was. Cody pushed the door aside and his heart stopped.

The bed there with the sheets was there. But the basketball hoop and the disaster area that was Zack's side was pristine. No dirty clothes, no homework, no expired food, no boardgames with its pieces scattered all over. Nothing. It was like no one had lived in the space for years. Cody looked over in his space. His comforter was on his bed, his clock radio was on, the twelve and two zeros blinking. His backpack was hanging like it usually does from his bed. His bookcase was neat. His side was normal. Completely normal.

Cody's heart pounded inside his chest.

"I've to be dreaming..." The words dribbled from his mouth in a whisper. Unable to believe them. Cody did one thing he never usually does to himself. He slapped himself.

"okay that did not work." He rubbed the struck area. The next best idea fell into his mind.

"I'm going to mom. This makes no sense at all." Cody ran to the suite door and opened it. He stared a blackened hallway with nothing in sight. The darkeness covering up what the hallway that should have led to the elevator.

"Okay, the emergency lights should at least be on. I wonder why we have power? But why not everyone else too?" Cody's ramblings stopped when he realized something odd.

No...impossible.

The darkness was moving towards. He watched as it absorbed the elevator hallway and creeped toward him. His library-like mind felt like it lost its dewey decimal system. It had nowhere to start from as he watched the wallpower fade into nothing.

His mind recatalogued everything as he watched a table be erased. Cody ran back into his suite and slammed the door and locked it.

His voice stuttered...

"Howhowhow's that possible? I mean seriously? Wall disappearing? That only happens in bad horror flicks." He turned around and stared as the locked suite door just evaporated. And the darkness continued its way as if nothing happened. Cody stared in horror as he backed up into the living room. Then he looked for a way to escape. He almost died as the television was deleted, the white mash of dots and noise faded into black. He turned to his and Zack's bedroom. Their beds were adsorbed already as the blackness continued its march to him. Encircling him on all sides. Like a rat in a corner. But Cody did not know how to fight back. Nothing made sense! The black tidal tsunami soon left Cody on the last piece of ground.

Cody's mind disconnected itself as he watched his toes and feet behind turned into darkness. But there was no pain at all. His eyes stared at the impossible as his knees and thighs disappeared. Screaming never occurred to him. Everything was too bizarre. He could not comprehend it.

His body fading into...darkness. The darkness creeped to his face.

Who...what...where...ho

_..._

_What happened? I feel tired. Really tired. _

_No, wait...not tired. Just like I slept for a really, really long time._

_My eyes hurt for some reason. They're blurry too. I cant see anything. Its too dark out. Who turned out the lights?_

_My legs and arms feel so heavy and numb. I cant move them. Everything feels so slow..._

_Hey, my eyes are getting better..._

_Ugh, even my muscles feels exhausted. It does not matter..._

"**_Subject two has full consciousness. Program has failed."._**

The voice jumpstarted Cody's mind into overdrive.

"Who's that?" Cody heard his voice. It sounded weak, unused. Nothing more than a whisper. Cody searched around. His eyes cleared and he noticed light fell on him from above. But beyond the light there was nothing but darkness. He tried to turn to see where to see what was behind him. But he could not move at all. His arms were stretched straight from his sides. Almost spread eagle. He felt something on his head but he could see it.

"How? Cody looked down. He could not see his feet since they were directly below him but he could not feel the ground under them either. He tried to move them too. No good.

So he was floating but without any string or ropes attached.

"Anyone there?" Cody's frail voice stretched out into the abyss.

Nothing. Not even that strange voice from before.

A chill ran up Cody's spine. He started to shiver. He tried to wrap his arms around himself but they still stayed frozen. Cody watched as his muscles twitched involuntarily.

"Help anyone. Its cold in here. I'm starting to freeze."

"**Subject two's room temperature increasing."**

"Hello?" Cody tried again, but nothing. But he suddenly felt comfortable. He stopped shivering. Still unable move any of his limbs and floating but now warm.

"Wait, I hear something..." Cody focused hs hearing. He knew what the sounds were.

Footsteps. They got louder. Closer.

Cody felt his heart pound his chest as the footsteps echoed in whatever or whereever he was.

A form appeared in the shadows of the light. The light hit it...

"Mom?" Cody could not believe it but excitement took over.

"Mom! Help me! Get me out of here." Cody tried to twist away from where he was but his limbs did not respond. His mother stared at him. A confused expression on her face.

"Mom? I'm not your m...Ah, course. I see." Cody watched his mother smiled. The same smile she would used everytime he amazed her with his knowledge. "Well done, HEU. Well done."

Cody was silent as he absorbed this newcomer. She looked his mother, who wore the same trying to be hip while hard working outfit. The same blond hair and of course her voice.

"I'm not your mother." Cody looked at her, her eyes memorized him but the spell broke with her next words.

"You never knew the woman named as Carey Marie Martin. Of course she lived once. Just not in your physical mind."

"Carey" stared at him intently as Cody looked at her in shock. The pieces did not come together. Then she sighed and shrugged.

"Well I suppose it would not hurt us to tell you. Not anymore. It wont do you any good in the end."

Cody looked at her strangely but his visitor ignored it.

"My name Zaka by the way... You see everything you thought you knew except for one person was not real. It only happened inside your brain. " Cody stopped her, Zaka in Carey form said nothing as Cody spat out his words. His confusion plain to hear,

"I saw, I smelled, I touched , even tasted." Zaka-Carey smiled triumphly at the boy's usage of his senses.

"Simple manipulation, my sweet. Your human brain is so easy to play. Control what gets sent to it and you control what gets sent out. Its quite simple really. Zaka shok her head, sadly. "Of course, that was after it took many tries to figure it out."

"How?"Cody watched as Zaka-Carey started to pace slowly while still being in his sight range.

"Quite simple. You see the human brain is like a information receiver and database and reacts to everything. What we simply did was create a program that mimics what your brain would usually receive from the outside."

Cody did not say anything as his mother explained this to him. His mother was smart when it came to some school things, but this...

"i must be dreaming.." Cody answered quietly. Zaka smirked.

"Oh I think not" Cody countered her.

"Yes I can, dreams can seem or feel very real. You can hear or see in them. Even feel." Cody's echoed his presistence but it cracked as he watched a chilling confidence grow on Zaka-Carey's face.

"Is that so?" Zaka-Carey looked away and nodded to her left.

Cody felt nothing but soon yelled in pain. Then stopped and breathed heavily.

"What did you do? It felt like I like sunburn and someone hit it." Zaka-Carey answered nonchalently.

"Exactly what it was. You see we have the ability to make you think something happened by sending it through the program to the brain. All through that device on you head."

Cody tried to move his limbs again but to no avail as Zaka-Carey continued.

"The same band does not allow you to move at all. We simply block the signals that move the limbs." Zaka Carey fold her arms in front of her. "So now do you believe me? This is quite real."

"Why?"Zaka-Carey read Cody's eyes. So much like the others... She satisfied his need.

"Curiosity" Cody paled.

"We wanted to know what made you humans tick. What makes you...you." Zaka- Carey's hands clenched as Cody's voice reached her.

"Why couldn't you just visited us in person instead of this?" A human eyebrow rose.

"Because we wanted to have the ability to cover our tracks if neccessary." An inhuman laugh later." Besides you would not want to endure probing of your whole body would you?"

Cody swallowed at the question, only to remember something.

"You said there was one thing that was not made up?" Zaka-Carey looked at the human child.

"Oh yes, the other half of this. She looked to her left again. A few seconds pasted and footsteps that were lighter than before echoed.

Cody looked up and saw his brother look up at him. There was something wrapped around his head also.

"Zack, help me, please. We need to get out of here." Cody waited for Zack's help. But nothing happened. He just stood there in wonder at the other small lifeform.

"Who's Zack and who are you?"

Cody's mouth dropped at the boy's and his eyes started to water up as he tried to speak.

"I'm Cody, your twin, your brother, your best friend. We look exactly the same."

Zack looked at him with a quizzical expression and shook his head. "No we look nothing alike. Not at all. I have hair and you dont." Zaka-Carey butted into the conversation..

"I think he means this." Zaka-Carey walked over to Cody's paralyzed body with something in her hand. She lifted to Cody's face. It was a mirror and Cody looked at his image.

"No!" It was true. He was bald, no hair at all. He had the same band on his head as Zack did. Zaka-Carey leaned into Cody lowering her voice. Cody's skin crawled.

"Here's the ironic part. I watched your programming and know that in there.." Kaka-Carey points towards Cody's mind."...you are the younger twin. But actually Zack is a clone of you. With a few adjustments of course. And quick-grown. When we realized the potential of the situation, we created him and kept on standby. You were a long term project so hence the shaved head for mentenience purposes."

Cody watched as she turned around and Zack turned to face her. But Cody discovered something on his neck.

"What's that on his neck?" Zaka-Carey answered instantly.

"Its a neural controller. Same thing as the band but for better control of the nerves. It assisted in that sunburn incident earlier."

"Excuse me" Zaka-Carey her lip at the interruption from from behind and turned toward Zack. "Can I go now?"

Zaka-Carey's mouth twitched then relaxed.

"Actually you both may go. Where you will be dealt with."

Cody dropped to the ground but could not move but he felt being pulled into the darkness. He tried to fight but his limbs stayed dead.

Cody looked up at a scream. Zack was being dragged in the same direction as him with Zaka-Carey following both of them.

"You see this experiment failed. But I can always start again." She looked into the darkness." Make sure their DNA and memories are saved. After all, we can use them again, just like all the others before them. Dispose of them."

_..._

_No this cant be happening. This has be to be a dream. I wanted to be the first doctor lawyer in space. I only got to go on a few dates. I'm thirteen. This cant be real. It can't be. This has to be a dream!_

* * *

**So, is it?**

**Okay this has a story has a ton of influences. Some more obvious than others. But I will leave to you to discover them. But there was one fanfiction that influenced me along with a ton of movies. As for the writing style and the way it came, its was thought about beforehand. I decided on not telling everything so you, the readers can let your mind fill in the rest as your mind desires.**

**Feel to tell me what you think. Good or bad especially this is only second "Halloween" story I've ever written.**


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